A Corner Of The Universe
by DearLadyDisdain
Summary: Voldemort is gaining strength every day, Harry is desperate and more alone than ever. So what happens when someone who may be the key to everything shows him what it really means to be in a corner of the universe? HIATUS.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I am just passing time with my own imagination until the real thing comes out. Sorry if this seems a little OOC.

This is my year seven fanfic about the hunt for the Horcruxes. I do not belive that this is what will happen, I am just entertaining the notion. (I wrote up to chapter 5 before DH came out)

This is my first real Harry Potter fic (I did a poem, and a Naruto fic, but this is harder), so review nicely. Please and thanks.

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Chapter 1

Sleeping Street

The outside world was darkened at eleven O'clock and the pure blackness that descended on Privet Drive was only penetrated by the occasional streetlamp. There were no children outside playing, no cars driving, and no people walking. It was almost as if Privet Drive had taken an extended nap. The only sound was the dull hum of automobiles from the highway. The sky was starless, and the premature moon threatened to stop hiding behind the stormy clouds. Even though it was July, a thick cloud of fog hung low in the air.

A young man stared out of a second-story window at the lifeless street. If looked at, one would be lead to believe that Harry Potter was a ghost. The pale light from the streetlamps whitened his already pale complexion. Harry was a very skinny boy, but he had always been that way. With the help of Quidditch and regular meals however, that had changed. His face, despite only being 16, was serious and scarred with cuts from adventures of happier days. The only thing that made Harry look any different from other people at school was the thin lightning bolt-shaped scar on his forehead that he had come to dislike.

Harry's thoughts kept wandering toward the events of last week. Dumbledore's funeral had been then, and sometimes the shock that he would never see his mentor again still made him want to vomit. Ginny had been there too. Even as Harry told her that he could not be with her anymore, she had remained loyal. Maybe when it was all over, they could finally have a chance at an actual date without looking over their shoulders.

A snore came from the middle of the room from Harry's best friend. Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger were knocked out on sleeping bags on his bedroom floor. Looking around the room, Harry noted the numerous piles of books on the floor, and Hermione's head was resting on an open page of a particularly thick one. They were tracing family trees to find out where some of the Horcruxes might have gone. Originally, Hermione's idea, she took a trip to Diagon Alley and bought every book she could find on wizarding family trees in England. The research was a long and grueling process that had turned up very few results. Harry thought it was a lost cause, but Hermione was still determined to find some shred of evidence that might lead them to a Horcrux.

They had stayed up all night because Ron had found another descendant of Hepzibah Smith named Gregory Smith and Hermione swore that this was a huge breakthrough. Even though they had what Harry felt was every book ever published on wizarding genealogy, it was still very hard to find names. You had to start from the bottom with Hepzibah and her late husband (Arnold Smith) and try to work your way up to remote family members. Ron thought that Hepzibah might have had a child, and he had proved right. Hermione had now taken up the task of finding younger descendants while Ron checked for other relatives. Harry was assigned the hardest task of all.

Researching how to destroy Horcruxes was far mor difficult than tracing lineages because no one wanted to be known for publishing a book on Dark Magic. Harry had to go into Deadly and Dangerous, a dark magic book store in Knockturn Alley. When the hag behind the counter heard he wanted all the books they had on Horcruxes, she shushed him and shoved at least ten books into his arms. Harry had only gotten through three of them when he decided to mark his page in _Dark Magic of the Dark Ages_ to take a break.

Hermione had begun to stir. Even though Harry had been living with her for a little over a month, he just now noticed that her hair had gotten even bushier, if that was even possible. Harry's other friend, Ron, had changed too. Ron had shot up to a little over six feet tall. His nose had lengthened a little so that he faintly resembled Dumbledore.

Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia weren't pleased when they found out that two more "freaks" were to be staying under their roof (Uncle Vernon's vein in his temple started dangerously throbbing). As a precaution, Ron and Hermione stood next to him in case Uncle Vernon tried to attack Harry (the vein was dangerously protruding). Perhaps it was because there were two armed wizards looking at the Dursleys as if they would like nothing more than to curse them, but they reluctantly allowed them to stay (the vein was in serious danger of bursting). Harry always went down to the kitchen to pick up meals for the three of them, for fear what the Dursleys would do to Ron or Hermione if they went down there. Dudley had taken to avoiding them at all costs, which was not new to Harry, as he was keen on interacting with Dudley as little as possible.

Hermione stretched and came to join Harry at the window.

"How is the Horcrux hunt coming?" she asked sleepily.

"It's not. They only tell you how to make Horcruxes, not how to get rid of them! They show you the worst pictures with the ugliest descriptions on how you make them, and they even offer tips! It's disgusting!" Harry spat.

"The search for the younger generation is practically pointless," said Hermione going over to her area of floor and pulling out a long roll of parchment. She beckoned him to come over.

She unrolled the long parchment. Harry saw numerous names connected by tiny lines. There were some names with a line that lead to nothing. Harry assumed that they meant that Hermione had not found the spouse, or that their name wasn't important. At the very top was Helga Hufflepuff.

"Gregory Smith married a muggle-born witch named Melissa Anderson. Her side is pointless to research because her parents died in 1968, and why would You-Know-Who give a Horcrux to muggles? What is really sad is that Melissa died in 1981 and she was murdered a week before Voldemort's downfall. I know she had one kid, but id doesn't say who because the Ministry keeps a tight lock on the whereabouts and names of underage wizards," Hermione finished smartly.

"How did Melissa die?" Harry asked, looking at the family tree.

Hermione shifted around a minute before finally saying, "She was brutally murdered in an attack on Gringotts."

Harry swallowed a lump in his throat. "Why was she at Gringotts?" he asked.

"She was an Auror and got called to the scene. According to this _Daily Prophet_ article, she had a child, but it still doesn't give a name," Hermione said promptly.

Ron gave a snort from the other side of the room and rolled over, muttering something about the Chudley Cannons. Hermione continued on.

"I've been combing old _Prophets_ to find some sign of a Smith child's name, but there hasn't been a single name mentioned. Just Gregory. No one else."

Harry turned away and looked out the window at the sleeping street. It was raining. The heavy droplets began to hammer against the window loudly.

"What are you two doing?" said a sleepy voice. Ron had awoken.

"I was showing Harry the Smith family tree. Here, look," Hermione said, shoving the tree at Ron and explaining the history and that Ron's discovery was actually very helpful, but the search was fruitless.

Harry crawled into bed with _Dark Magic of the Dark Ages_, but didn't read it. Instead, he discreetly pulled out the photo album of his parents.

Harry had begun to put more pictures in the album at the start of the summer. Most of the new ones were of Sirius and Dumbledore, but there was one of the three of them. It was their first year and right after they had gone through the trap door. They were all slightly bruised and bandaged, but looking pleased, nonetheless.

The mini trio waved up at him, and then went back to talking. Harry smiled, something that hadn't happened in weeks.

Harry's alarm clock read that it was midnight. It was his birthday! Ron and Hermione looked up at his sudden movement and saw the clock.

"Congratulations Harry!" squealed Hermione, leaning over the bed to hug him.

"Yeah mate, now you can do magic!" said Ron, clapping Harry on the back.

"I think I'll celebrate by sleeping," replied Harry, rubbing his eyes.

"I'm staying up," said Ron, motioning to a pile of books near his mat.

"I'll help with that," said Hermione

"See you in the morning," Harry whispered

Silence filled Harry's ears as he drifted off to sleep, but he couldn't help but think about Melissa Anderson. What was really eating away at Harry was the fact that she died a week before his own parents met their premature deaths. How powerful had Voldemort been then?

_Still_ Harry thought, _If she had any kids, we would have alot in common._


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks to my beta Ellie, who had some things to do and I hope she is ok. A HUGE thanks also goes to my wonderful beta Chazzie. Without you both, this story would be a disgrace to my English teacher.

Disclaimer: You know the drill. I own nothing. I fear lawyers. I am a dork. Read on.

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Chapter 2

Hellos And Goodbyes

The small village of Godric's Hollow had been deserted for almost seventeen years. A freak attack on one of the houses had sent the villagers fleeing to other parts of Britain, leaving the once welcoming village to become a chilling ghost town. The only thing that seemed to be present was a thick veil of fog, making it so that you could only see ten feet in front of you. There was no wind, no rain, and no sound. It was as if the world was moving forward, and Godric's Hollow was on pause.

The house was still standing as Harry, Ron, and Hermione strode nervously toward their destination. The silence of the village was pressing down around them, encasing them in an invisible prison. Most of the outer wall was still left,along with a staircase, but the second floor was almost entirely obliterated. Harry felt a wave of apprehension pass over him as they walked up to the site of destruction. Ron and Hermione shot him a nervous glance before walking toward what Harry supposed was the door of his former residence. He tried to repress a wave of nausea that threatened to overtake him.

"Do you want us to come with you, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"No, I have to do this by myself," Harry said, hiding the fact that his brain was screaming, _GO BACK!_

Ron said nothing, but Harry could see that his best friend was already spooked by the aura of the house. Harry was too. He swallowed the bile that was rising in his throat and entered the wreckage.

The interior was entirely blackened, and spotted with mould on the ceiling and the walls. Harry could see the remains of a couch and an armchair on one side of the room, and the outline of what appeared to be a table opposite the chair. He turned around, and there was a rocking chair. Maybe it was the one that his mother used to rock him.

Harry turned around and threw up a little in his mouth at the sight in front of him. There was one part of the floor that wasn't blackened, and that was where an outline of a body was clearly visible on the floor. His father had died right here, trying to save him.

Harry really didn't know how he was supposed to feel about the outline. He didn't remember his mom or dad, but the fact that they were struck down here, where he was standing, made his heart feel like it had sunk into his stomach. He tried to push the mental image of his father's seared and burned body out of his mind.

He walked quickly into the next room. It resembled a kitchen, with its completely massacred barrier that had been dividing it from the living room, and the previously tiled floor. It reminded him of the Weasleys' kitchen, with its welcoming air. At least, it probably used to be welcoming. The whole house might have been at one point, but now it was different. This was no longer a house of joy, warmth, and happiness. It was a house of pain.

Harry had become so engrossed in the thoughts of his parents**'** lives here that he didn't even notice that he had climbed the stairs. He began to walk, but something behind him made a noise.

He whirled around and lurched forward, wand drawn. His heart was racing. Was there someone else in the house? Harry spun around again, not finding anything. There was a scuttling noise somewhere around his feet and he looked down, only to look down and find that he had stepped on a rat.

Harry let out a sigh of relief and made his way toward a very blackened room at the end of a long hallway that creaked with his every step. The room was almost entirely gone. The floor was barely standing and there was practically no wall left. In the corner of the room, the black became even blacker. A faint outline was on the floor. Harry realised that that was where Voldemort had fallen, and Harry's world had fallen out of control.

Harry turned from the room, finding that just being back here was overwhelming. He was about to leave, when a door caught his attention.

It was a plain door. It was blackened like the rest of the ones in the house and the handle was barely visible, but there was something different about this one. Harry felt a strange connection to it, as if something was pulling him toward it. Not knowing what lay ahead, Harry opened the door.

The room looked almost as bad as the room that he had left. A double bed sat in the back of the room while a dresser stood innocently against the wall. The far side of the room looked like a good push would break it, and some floorboards were missing. Harry walked in and a strange rattling sound disrupted the heavy silence. Gazing downward, he saw that he was standing on a loose floorboard.

Harry stepped on the board again. Following it with his eyes, he saw that it led under the dresser. Getting on his hands and knees, Harry reached under and pulled out a baby's rattle. His rattle? It was dusty, but was otherwise coloured blue and yellow. Harry looked at the dresser. It was fairly blackened, but it looked like it had no trouble standing. _I wonder..._ Harry thought.

Carefully opening the top drawer, Harry found jumpers that looked like they might have belonged to his mother. He put his hand into the drawer, and it grasped a piece of paper. No, it was smoother than paper. Harry pulled it out and discovered that it was a photograph. The picture was of his mother, his father and himself, waving tiredly up at him. But what caught his eye was what baby Harry was holding: it was the very same rattle that the seventeen-year-old Harry was holding.

Harry let out a moan of pain. He had an unpleasant sensation that some great insect had crawled inside and begun gnawing away at his soul. He felt as if he were sinking into a massive pit of misery and despair, where all he could think about was his worst memories, his greatest fears, and his most realistic nightmares. At that moment, he could have sworn that there was a Dementor around. They always seemed to be following him around lately after all.

Sighing, Harry pocketed the photo and rattle, left the room and climbed down the stairs. He had seen enough of the house. It was bringing back memories that he couldn't bring himself to face. Before leaving, he turned to wipe his eyes on his sleeve.

Ron and Hermione heard his footsteps as he came out. They saw his face, exchanged a look and followed down the garden path.

"You all right, mate?" Ron asked.

"I'm fine," Harry said automatically, wishing it were true.

Something caught Harry's eye though. A little plaque on the garden wall read, _This house is the site of the fall of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Lilly and James Potter sacrificed their lives for the safety of their son, Harry. Harry survived the attack, and destroyed Voldemort in the process. Thousands of witches and wizards from all over the world gathered to pay their respects to the Potters. Their wishes have been forever recorded in the back of the memorial. The current whereabouts of Harry Potter are unknown._

Harry ran around to the back of the house, Ron and Hermione on his heels, and saw the memorial. Thousands of candles bewitched to burn eternally still flickered with life. Dead, wilted, flowers lined the tops of the garden wall, and anywhere there was availible room. Pictures of his parents smiled at Harry, Ron, and Hermione while they stood in awe of the memorial. Wishes and prayers were graffitied on to the sides of the wall. Harry pulled out his wand and conjured a single flower that he laid in front of the pictures of his parents. He couldn't think of anything to say, so he bagan to walk. Ron and Hermione stopped to bow to the pictures of Lilly and James before catching up with him.

As they walked back to the nearby bar, which held the fireplace that brought them here, Harry heard something. He wasn't sure if his brain was playing tricks on him, but in the foggy distance, he could have sworn he heard a woman's voice singing a lullaby while a baby played with a rattle.

* * *

An otherworldly music began to play as Harry took his seat next to Hermione out in the Weasleys' garden. 

"Where have you been?" she whispered angrily.

"Getting rid of this stupid scar," he whispered back. In order to maintain secrecy about his identity, Charlie helped him mask his scar, turn his eyes hazel, and Fred and George had made his nose larger than normal. Mrs.Weasley had insisted on a full makeover, but Ginny had insisted that subtle things would do the job. Fleur's friends Marie and Belle didn't seem to mind either, as they had been hinting that they would like to dance with him at the reception all weekend.

Bill and Fleur's wedding was beginning and emotions were running high. Fleur's mother was crying into her handkerchief a few rows away from him while Mrs.Weasley patted her consolingly on the back.

On top of a raised platform was a middle-aged wizard from the Ministry who was smiling, but the wizard's smile looked worn, as if he had done it many times before. Bill stood next to him wringing his hands and looking nervous. The scars from the bite that Fenrir Greyback inflicted on him gave Harry the distinct impression that a much younger Mad-Eye Moody was standing in front of him. He didn't look frazzled like Moody did, though: Bill looked tough.

The air was as foggy as ever, but now it looked more dreamlike than eerie as some women cried and children played. Harry felt like he was on the outside looking in on the happy families. With the awkward moments with Ginny that he had encountered plus the fact that he was related to nobody at the wedding interrupted his ability to enjoy the last of his "carefree" days.

Hermione nudged him. The bridesmaids and groomsmen had started to walk down the aisle together. Fleur's sister, Gabrielle, came with Ron first, wearing gold dress robes. They both looked rather sulky, but when they caught sight of Harry and Hermione, Ron gave a look that plainly said "help me" while Gabrielle batted her eyelashes at Harry as if wishing that he were escorting her instead of Ron.

Gabrielle was just as bad as Marie and Belle. She acted like an extremely obnoxious shadow, laughing hysterically at the dullest comments he made and trying to put herself next to Harry during the evening family sit-downs together while Ginny glared daggers at her as if to say that he was hers.

Next Fred and George came with Marie and Belle. The twins were looking like they were on top of the world, but Marie and Belle chose to mirror Gabrielle and winked at him while Hermione rolled her eyes. Then Charlie came up the aisle, escorting his sister while Harry's stomach gave a back flip. Ginny was dressed in gold like the others, but somehow she looked better than they did. They made eye contact for a moment, and every thought that plaguing his mind melted away as she gave him a small smile. The other French girls looked at Ginny enviously as she came up behind them on the platform.

There was a pause in activity as everyone settled down. Then came Fleur.

Even though the sun was hidden in the clouds, a kind of light seemed to radiate off Fleur as she strode down the aisle, accompanied by her stern looking father. Her dress was like an upside-down teacup with a long train that was carried by a little girl. Her pale hair was piled on top of her head in a smooth bun that made her look like something out of a fairytale.

She and Bill met at the platform as the music stopped and everyone stopped and every eye was focused upon the platform. At this point, Mrs.Weasley started to cry into Mr.Weasley's shoulder.

The old wizard from the Ministry spoke up. "Hello, hello! My name is Robert, and we are gathered here today to celebrate a union of two families, The Weasleys and the Delacours. This is a very sacred ceremony..."

Harry felt so exhausted, and the wizard had a droning voice similar to Professor Binns', that he took no notice of what was being said. His vision became fuzzy and Harry slumped back in his chair and thought about a dream that he had the previous night. He had kept waking up from the same dream in which he was walking through a dark, old house. For some reason, that house made him feel anxious whenever it crossed his mind.

He had no idea how long he had stared into space, but before he knew it, Hermione was nudging him and everything suddenly became clear while everyone stood up to watch Bill and Fleur walk down the aisle with goofy smiles plastered on their faces. He left his seat and was about to exit after them when an arm grabbed his.

Harry spun around. Ginny was standing there with a blazing look on her face as she pulled him closer to her. Harry thought she was going to kiss him and he prepared to pull away. If she did, then it would be even harder to leave her behind. He was taken aback when she whispered,

"Watch out for the Order."

Harry was puzzled. "Why?"

"I heard Lupin and Kingsley talking. Somehow, they got wind that you, Ron, and Hermione are going somewhere, and they want to know where. I don't know what they want, but I would avoid them if I were you," she said at top speed. "Good luck," she added.

"I didn't say I was going anywhere," Harry said a little too quickly.

"You didn't say you weren't," she said shrewdly. She dropped her voice even more. "I know you're going somewhere, and I want to come. No matter what, I'll be fighting right next to you."

"Ginny, I can't let you come. What if you got hurt? Voldemort knows about you. He might use you again. I couldn't live with myself if that happened."

She still had the hard look on her face. "I can't convince you, so I have something to say to you." Then, without warning, she kissed him.

The reception might have ended by the time they broke apart. She turned to him and said, "Be safe," before walking back to the house.

Harry watched her go. He wanted to tell her how much he cared about her. That she had put a bright spot in his life when he thought it was darkened forever, and how much he wanted to shout after her that she could come. That they would ride off on a broom and face whatever was out there together. But Harry told himself that he was doing the right thing by keeping her as far away from him as possible. After all, he was a marked man and she couldn't afford to be around him right now. _Maybe someday_ he thought. _But not right now._

The fact that he was going to search the world for four Horcruxes became incredibly real to him right then and there. He knew he there was a dark path ahead of him, and he had just started to walk it.

He strode toward the tent that the reception was being held under and thinking about the new information he had learned. When he left, was the Order still going to tail him as if he was an incompetent child that needed constant direction? Somehow, he was going to have to throw them off soon.

He entered the tent and was immediately on the lookout for any Order members. Within minutes, he spotted Mad-Eye Moody. He was drinking out of hip flask with his back toward Harry, but Harry had an uneasy feeling that his magical eye was fixed on him.

Turning around, Harry saw Lupin and Tonks standing by the entrance. They looked casual, but Harry could tell they were looking for him. Ron and Hermione hadn't entered yet, so it was up to him to avoid the Aurors.

Ever since Dumbledore told Harry to keep his Invisibility Cloak with him at all times, he towed it around in his pocket along with the fake Horcrux. Harry sat down at a table in the corner of the tent and wondered what to do. His mind flashed to Dudley in his childhood, pretending to drop his fork to bend under the table so that he could sneak even more snacks and tie the laces of Harry's trainers together. Harry picked up his spoon and held it loosely while looking at the guests that kept pouring in. Letting it clatter loudly to the ground, he immediately got off his chair and under the safety of the tablecloth, pulled out the cloak and draped himself in it.

Now that the tent was almost entirely full, it was very hard to move around without trodding on somebody's foot. Harry was moving around the sides when a sudden thought sent a wave of disappointment through his body.

_Moody's eye can see through invisibility cloaks. What do I do now?_

The answer came to him in the form of a gentle breeze that danced around his ankle. Looking down, Harry saw that the tent had an opening. Getting down on his stomach, he had to crawl out of it while moving the fabric as little as possible. His foot caught the end and it made the canvas flutter, but judging by the noise level in the makeshift room, people were too busy to notice a ripple. Pulling off the cloak, he looked around and was proved wrong the next second.

Lupin and Tonks came running around the tent with their wands drawn at him. Harry quickly drew his own.

"Harry, where are you going?" Lupin asked.

"I'm going back in the house," he replied innocently.

"Don't make us hex you Harry," Lupin said, pointing his wand at him. Harry knew it was an empty threat, but he couldn't help wondering if Lupin was being serious.

"Hex me all you want, because I'll hex you right back," Harry challenged.

"We aren't going to curse you. Look, we know you, Ron, and Hermione are going somewhere soon, and we want to help. We need to know where," said Tonks exasperatedly.

"I can't tell you. Even I don't know, and what I'm doing is nothing that concerns the Order," Harry said, becoming irritated.

"Harry," Lupin pleaded, "Why are you even leaving? Are you looking for something?"

"Like I said earlier, it's nothing that concerns the Order."

Lupin stepped forward and put his hands on Harry's shoulders. "We're in the middle of a war, and we can't afford anymore losses. We can help you with whatever you are doing."

Harry pulled away. "You can't help. Nobody can, and if you can't lose any more people, then leave me alone. I'm not a kid anymore, and I am perfectly capable of making my own decisions."

"Fine then. You leave us no choice. _Stupe_-"

"_Protego_," Harry shouted, successfully deflecting the Stunning Spell. "_INCARCEROUS_," he yelled again.

Ropes came shooting out of thin air and wrapped themselves around an unsuspecting Lupin who fell to the ground. Tonks shot a Jelly-Legs Jinx that missed him by inches while Harry shot a Stinging Hex that she deflected. Tonks sent another Stunner at him as Harry was struck with a brilliant idea.

"_PROTEGO_," Harry yelled while thinking, "_Levicorpus_." It worked perfectly. Her spell was absorbed by Harry's shield and she was successfully distracted by the fact that she was hanging upside down by her ankle as her wand clattered to the ground.

"You know, kiddo, you would make a great Auror someday," Tonks said drunkenly while flailing around and trying to reach for her wand.

"I know I would," said Harry coldly. "_Stupefy_," he yelled. She slumped to the ground next to Lupin who was still struggling against the ropes. Harry left them, but he took both their wands and threw them several feet before marching up the garden path.

Harry had no idea what had come over him back there. All of the pent up aggression that had been building over the past few weeks came out in the small duel. He was sick of people telling him what to do, and he was going to let people know it. Harry was confused as to what he did, but one thought among the thousands stood out: There was a crackling power running through him, and it felt good. **Really** good.

He turned into the Weasleys' kitchen, almost trampling an angry looking Viktor Krum.

"Sorry," Harry muttered as he walked into the living room. Confused now, Harry climbed the stairs to Ron's room. Pushing open the door, for a brief moment he saw Ron and Hermione hugging until Hermione saw Harry enter. She let go of Ron and mauled Harry.

"Hermione, at least tell Harry before you smother him," said Ron, barely able to contain his own grin.

"Tell me what?" asked Harry, closing the door behind him, and casting the Muffliato spell.

"Harry, pack your bags, we're going!" squealed Hermione.

"You found a Horcrux? Where?"

"Ron found it, actually. We have the name of the youngest descendant of Hephzibah Smith," she said, shaking with excitement now.

"Who?" Harry demanded.

"Zacharias Smith."

* * *

Muahahaha! I know, an evil cliff-hanger, but I am evil that way... 

Thanks again to my wonderful beta Chazzie who had wonderful comments that brought a smile to my face when I thought my muscles had forgotten how, and helped me past step one of my comma addiction.


	3. Chapter 3

I wasn't sure how this chapter would turn out. I knew what I wanted to happen, but it didn't seem like I could put it in words. For some reason, this chapter felt sweaty. There really is no other way for me to describe it. Harry Potter is not mine, I fear lawyers.

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Chapter 3

Heist

"What the hell was I thinking" thought Harry as he held his pair of omnioculars to his glasses.

A week ago, he had been sleeping in a real bed and eating real food. He, Ron, and Hermione had departed the night of the wedding, with their notes of goodbye in envelopes on their pillows. Hermione had left Crookshanks to Ginny because Harry had Hedwig and Ron had Pigwidgeon. They didn't take cages, but instead just let the owls fly next to their broomsticks. All three agreed on the fact that they wouldn't carry anything except their wands, some extra clothes, and brooms that Ron and Hermione hijacked from the Weasley's shed. Harry took the Invisibility Cloak, but left Ginny the Marauders Map. It would be of more use to her than to him.

After the escape from the Burrow, he was crouching behind a tall bush on the edge of a small forest. He was looking at the grand estate that belonged to the Smith family and waiting for anything remotely peculiar to happen. All that happened was either Zacharias or his father would put the cat out or get the post, but nothing that would suggest that they were hiding a Horcrux. Harry kept having a strange feeling in his stomach. He decided it was between the fact that he was hungry because of their limited food supply and the strange dream he kept having every night. In the dream, he would walk into a dark old hallway that was dead silent and before he could walk any further, he was falling in darkness and then he would wake up drenched in sweat.

"Are you absolutely sure the cup is in the house?" Ron asked Hermione for what seemed like the billionth time.

"Positive. Where else would he hide it?" She stated.

"Why would he take the cup and give it back to the family?"

"Because," Harry piped in. "He knew the family would guard that cup with their lives. It's probably worth more than their whole house, not to mention it was one of the founder's things."

Hermione looked satisfied while Ron just shrugged his shoulders and went back to watching the house with glazed over eyes.

Ron had basked in the glory of finding the Horcrux for a few days, but the effect was wearing off fast. Hermione was convinced that the Horcrux was somehow linked to the Smiths. Harry didn't care how or where the cup was; just that he got it and destroyed it.

Something tapped him on the shoulder. Whipping around, the only thing waiting for him was Hermione.

"Harry, you have to do it tonight," she stated.

"Hermione, I don't even know how to destroy the thing!" Harry exclaimed.

"I'm not talking about destroying the Horcrux; I'm talking about getting it first." Hermione stated, putting her hands on her hips.

"How am I going to get it? I can't very well walk up to the door and say 'Hello, do you have a fragment of Voldemort's soul in your house?' I'm not a genius, but I'm smart enough to know even Crabbe and Goyle would slam the door in my face if I said that." Harry said.

"Listen! I never said you were going to ask them for it. We're just going to borrow it for a while." Hermione said evasively.

Ron, who had been listening very intently, dropped his omnioculars when he heard this.

"Steal it? You want us to steal it?" He exclaimed.

"Well, how else are we supposed to get it? Like Harry said, we can't just stroll up to their home and destroy everything that we see! It's probably secured by loads of enchantments somewhere."

A sudden thought struck Harry. Hephzibah Smith would do anything to protect that cup. From living with the Dursleys, Harry knew common places where anyone would hide something.

"The attic," Harry whispered.

"What?" Asked Ron.

"The cup is in the attic," he repeated.

"Are you sure?" Said Ron.

"Positive. We have to do it soon." Harry said, half wishing someone would stop him.

Hermione clapped her hands together. "Wonderful! So you're going to do it tonight?"

"I guess," Harry hesitated.

"Good. Just use the Cloak so you can get in and out quickly."

"Wait a minute," said Ron. "How do we know that wart Smith even has an attic?"

"Don't be silly," scorned Hermione. "Before we came, I researched this house. It was built about a century ago, and most houses this size back then had attics to hide all the family's unattractive furniture."

"Alright..." said Ron, his skeptical face changing to one of alertness as he said, "Someone's at the door!"

Harry and Hermione rushed over to the bush. Groping for their omnioculars, they could see Zacharias Smith's haughty face under a mop of blonde hair. Accompanying him out the door was the family cat, Pearl. She ran off to chase a bird while Zacharias went back inside, leaving Pearl alone to decide the fate of the bird.

"Same old thing," said Ron, but nevertheless checking his watch. "And at the same time every night!"

"Honestly Ron, don't you pay attention? This is the first time he's put the cat out front. Normally it goes out the back door."

Harry shushed them both before Ron could retaliate. At the mention of the word 'cat,' the Smith cat looked up at the exact spot where they were hiding. Harry stared into its eyes and wondered if the cat could understand every word that they were saying. Hermione stared at it intently while Ron slowly reached for his wand. Thankfully, the cat just tilted its head and went back to careening after the bird.

Harry turned around to face Ron and Hermione. "Animagus?" He said.

"Can't be," said Ron shaking his head. "It didn't have any weird markings."

"But what if the person didn't have any peculiar features?" Argued Hermione, "Then they would look like just any regular old cat."

"What Animagus do you know that doesn't have weird markings?" said Ron exasperatedly.

"I'm just saying that it looked like a normal cat," said Hermione.

"Hermione, have you read anything about non-marked animagus'?" Harry piped in.

"No, everyone has at least one distinguishing feature," Hermione said shaking her head.

"Then again," said Ron. "She might be a cousin of Mrs. Norris."

Harry laughed, even Hermione managed to crack a smile.

"Animagus or not, we have to get the cup tonight," she said diligently.

"Why?" said Ron.

"Because," started Hermione, "Tonight's a full moon, so you should be able to see where you are going. Tomorrow is a Monday, so Gregory will go to bed earlier, and make Zacharias do the same. They will be asleep faster, so we can get in there faster." She then looked at Harry and said, "Are you sure?"

Knowing it would get done either way, he said "Yeah."

"Ron, am I insane?" Harry asked later that night.

"No..." said Ron.

"Then why am I charging into the house of a person who hates my guts to get an old cup that contains a part of the soul of my mortal enemy?"

"I dunno mate, but better you than me."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry said in mock hurt.

Hermione, who seemed to morph out of the trees, interrupted whatever Ron meant.

"While you two were talking, I walked around the house and I'm pretty sure that there is an attic.

"So should I go now?" Harry asked.

"Yes. Good luck," she said, turning to give him a hug. Hoping he was right about the attic, Harry put the cloak on, crouched, and ran across the garden to the front door.

Sure enough, the door was locked tighter than a drum. Pulling out his wand, Harry whispered, _"Aloahomora."_

The lock gave a soft click and the door opened quietly. Closing the door behind him, Harry turned around and the sight that met his eyes made him want to go right back out the door.

This house was identical to the one in his dream. Everything from the staircase at the end to the pictures on the walls to the cracks in the floorboards was in place. Harry swallowed his fear and crept towards the staircase. Harry jumped as the first step creaked loudly. Pausing to listen, all he heard was silence. He continued without any more creaks, but walked tiptoed the entire way.

Following the main hallway, he crept around looking at the pictures. The pictures were all sleeping, but they were all of Zacharias and his father. _This is worse than the Dursleys_, he thought to himself. At least the Dursleys pictures had some life to them.

Harry heard something pounding. He looked down the stairs, but the hallway was as still as death. The pounding grew louder and louder until Harry was sure everyone else in must have heard it by now. He looked every which way, but nothing was there. He grasped his wand with one hand and his heart with the other, only to put his wand hand down. He let out a sigh of relief, for the pounding was his heart.

To complete his fear, there were voices talking up the hallway. Standing frozen under the cloak, he listened intently.

_Did the Death Eaters get here before us?_ He wondered.

_No stupid_, he told himself, _you would have seen them come in, and you would have heard if they had been killed._

A strange feeling came over him. He might not like Zacharias, but he would never want him dead.

He inched closer and recognized that the voices weren't talking but singing, and there was just one voice. Confused, Harry crept closer to the room and pushed open the door.

"I've tried and tried again, but

not even _reparo_ can fix

what you've done to my heart."

He heard a rough voice say, "And that was the sensational new group Black Out. Don't touch that knob; this is the Wizarding Wireless Network after hours."

The wireless cut to a commercial as Harry let out a sigh of relief. His eye caught a trouser leg peeking out from a large armchair in the center of what appeared to be a library. Walking up to the chair, he could see the top of what looked like Zacharias' blonde head sticking out from under a blanket. Very thankful that Zacharias was asleep, he crept back out of the room.

Harry walked to the end of the hallway and found a door. He opened it a little way and found another set of stairs. After carefully climbing, he was shocked to see that it was Hephzibah Smith's attic, minus the frills and warmth. Instead, it was only illuminated by a single window and everything was covered in a thick layer of dust. His eyes immediately scanned the room for the cup that Harry saw in the pensive.

He saw a sword, a coat rack, an open box of clothes, and another box filled with what appeared to be potions. Scanning the rest of the attic, his eyes found a box with a badger carved into it. It was sitting in on top of a box marked "Christmas Decorations" next to a moth eaten couch. He examined Hufflepuff's cup as it shined innocently in the moonlight. There were many scratches in it, but the ornate H was unmistakable. _Now if only the rest of the Horcruxes were as easy to find_, Harry thought to himself as he threw off the Invisibility Cloak and went over to it.

He reached out for the cup, but a mental image of Dumbledore's blackened hand popped into his head. He looked down at his own hands and immediately withdrew them. Harry took out his wand and began looking around for a cloth to wrap the cup in. Not wanting to get the Invisibility Cloak cursed, he settled on a set of drapes that were lying in a box marked "1981." Wrapping his hands in the cloth, he reached out to the cup once more.

Before he could respond, his wand was knocked out of his hand, and the drapes fell to the ground as something very sharp was held to his throat. Then a harsh, cold voice said, "Don't move."

* * *

Another cliff hanger. I changed it a little, but something about this chapter isn't sittig right. I still think it feels sweaty. 


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: You know the drill. I own nothing. I fear lawyers.

* * *

Chapter 4

Come Together

"You know, I thought some birds had flown in here, but imagine my surprise when I found a rat," said the cold voice as a wand was shoved deeper against Harry's throat.

"W-Who are you?" He managed to gasp.

"Who I am doesn't matter. The real question is who are you and what are you doing in my house?"

"I'm not tell-wait, this is your house? Zacharias?" Harry said, confused.

The voice laughed. "You think I'm that moron? Ha! That has to be the best one I've heard all month. No, I am not Zacharias. Take another guess, because you have two more left before I turn your head into a squash."

"Only Zacharias and Gregory Smith live here. How can this be your house?" Harry said still gasping for air.

The cold voice laughed again. "And I assumed your little group with the other Hardy Boy and Nancy Drew was somewhat mediocre. Whoever did your research must have the brains of a pixie because only an idiot would check the public Ministry records."

The gears in Harry's brain were spinning out of control at the information this person was giving him. He didn't know what this person knew about him, Hermione, and Ron, but all he wanted to do was get out as fast as possible. He tried to elbow whatever was behind him, but he hit air.

"I suppose you think you're funny right? I'll stop you right now by saying that you have absolutely no chance whatsoever of escaping from me," the voice said grabbing Harry's forehead and pulling it back. "Wait a minute..." it said, now curious. Harry felt one finger delicately land on his scar and follow its outline.

_Please don't feel anything, please don't feel anything,_ he thought to himself.

There was a long pause before it said, "Well now, I knew someone was spying on the house, but I never imagined it would be someone as famous as Harry Potter. Tell me Mr. Potter, are you simply admiring that cup, or are you here to steal it from me?"

Harry looked at Hufflepuff's cup in front of him, still shining in the moonlight. "What's it to you?" he said, hoping he sounded unafraid.

"Nothing really. I hate this family right to the core, so believe me when I say that I would gladly help you in anything you have planned against them. I just want to know what you intend to do with this cup. Since you risked a lot to get to it, it obviously must be very important to you and your little helpers who are waiting for you down there and because you're Harry Potter, it must have something to do with saving the day. So Potter, how exactly does this artifact fit into the grand scheme of things?"

Harry was stunned into silence. How did this person know about what he, Ron and Hermione were doing? He was only a week into finding the Horcruxes and someone was already asking about them. _Hopefully they all won't be like this,_ he thought.

"So, are you going to tell me Potter or am I going to be in the dark all night?" said the voice with more than a note of impatience.

Harry weighed his options. It was either tell this complete stranger everything, or get caught and taken straight to The Ministry. "I'll tell you everything," he said slowly, "if you tell me everything."

A long pause followed his demand as if the voice were weighing its options. Then it said, "Smart move Potter. All right, here's my life story. My name is Mandy Smith. I'm related to the dumb asses that live here and they've made my life a living hell since I can remember, but you probably know all about my mother. For my real stats though, I'm 19, I weigh 54 kilos, and I hate being called Amanda."

There was a pause that seemed to last hours in the time it took for Harry to process the fact that Zacharias had a sister. Putting his hands in his head, he realized that she had released her grip on his head and he could barely feel the tip of her wand on his throat. "B-But according to the Ministry-"

"-I don't exist? After she died, my father erased all traces of me from his life except for the real thing. So if you looked at any records or newspapers, you would have found absolutely no trace of me, and that's not changing anytime soon. I know for a fact that my father pays a large sum of money to someone who runs the archives to keep me hidden."

Harry was still trying to wrap his mind around it. A sister. A sister that's not supposed to be alive for that matter.

As if to read his mind, Mandy continued, "Believe it Potter. Most pureblood families have some serious skeletons hiding in their closets that only highly paid off Ministry employees know. My father for some reason loved my mum to bits but hated my guts. I'll never know why, but once she was out of the way, he pretended I simply didn't exist. The only thing he ever did to acknowledge my presence was send me to Hogwarts. School didn't really hold my interest, and I was waiting for some signal, anything, that would let me get out of school."

Harry tried turning his head to see her, but his neck was so stiff that it didn't move very far.

"You delivered it actually. After the third Triwizard Task when you claimed that Voldemort was back, I left and tried to figure out anything that would lead to his downfall. That was my sixth year, but it feels like a lifetime ago. Since then I've been doing various odd jobs. I've just been lurking around here for the past month, and now here we are. That was my story, now let me hear yours."

Harry hesitated for a moment. Did he really want to reveal his only weapon that could destroy Voldemort to a complete stranger? On the other hand, she said Voldemort's name. Plus he knew he could trust her. He didn't know what it was, but somehow he just knew.

"I can't tell you everything...," he said tentatively.

"Completely understandable. Just give me the short version," she said her voice with less of an edge.

"Basically, I know something that could completely destroy Voldemort. That cup," he said pointing at Hufflepuff's cup "is cursed. There are also more of these cursed things out there. If we destroy them, then we're closer to getting rid of him."

Mandy grabbed his arms and spun him around. Harry was shocked at how much she looked like Zacharias. She had blonde hair in the longest braid Harry had ever seen and Zacharias' haughty features. Though instead of a smug expression plastered on her face, she wore an intense one while her eyes were cold silver. He glanced at her arms and saw that they were wrapped in bandages going as far up as Harry could see.

"How is destroying an old goblet going to help get rid of that slime ball?" she said indignantly. "You're going to be smashing a cup while people like my mother die every day? I've heard some pretty messed up logic but I have absolutely no idea how on earth you figure that one out!"

"It's more complicated than that," Harry said frowning. "There are other cursed things that can help get rid of him. I can't tell you the whole story, just-"

"-bits and pieces, I know," Mandy said glaring at him. Harry wasn't sure if it was the weather, but he could have sworn that the air had become colder under her icy stare.

There was a long pause again as he watched her walk across the attic to a corner to look at something. When she stood up, Harry was struck at how anemic her body looked as if she hadn't eaten in weeks. He tried to lift his arm to look at his watch, but he found that he couldn't move his arm. Harry tried wiggling, but remained frozen; she stunned him so that all he could move was his mouth.

"If you're wondering what time it is, I'll let you turn around." Mandy said from the corner, raising her wand and flicking it.

Harry's neck immediately spun so fast that it cracked and sent a spasm of pain down his back. He heard her mutter "Sorry," sarcastically. From the tiny window, he could see brightly coloured clouds behind the trees. It was long past sunrise, and Zacharias and his father would surely wake up soon.

"As you can obviously see, we're going to have to cut this little meeting short. You can explain the rest of the story on our way to finding this next 'cursed item.'" Mandy said, unfreezing Harry with another little flick of her wand. She walked over to the cup, picked up the drapes Harry had dropped, and wrapped the cup in them. Then she picked up Harry's wand and the Invisibility Cloak and tossed them at him.

"You're not coming." Harry said automatically catching them.

"Why not?" she said, opening the attic door that led back to the rest of the house.

"It's-It's nothing," he spluttered.

"Then what's the problem Potter?" Mandy said mockingly. She turned towards the door and gave her wand a complicated wave as a small pile of clothes came zooming into her hand. She also picked up a small black item from a shelf next to the attic door.

"My...um group is kind of full right now," Harry said, watching her pull out a backpack from a box and stuff her clothes into it.

Mandy swung the backpack over her shoulder, walked up to him, and said very plainly, "I'm sure you can make room."

"Either way," she said, walking over to a rusted candleholder and transfigured it into a black squashy sleeping bag. "I'm coming on your little hunt."

"And what makes you think that?" Harry snapped back.

"You wouldn't have told me what you were doing if you didn't want me come, so shut up, and follow me because I actually know what I'm doing," Mandy said, conjuring a thick rope out of thin air and tying it around the armchair of a couch.

"What are you doing now?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Getting out of here, what does it look like I'm doing? Go after me. Just jump down, and try not to make too much noise this time. When you tried to come in earlier, you made such a huge racket that I'm surprised the people in the next house didn't hear you." And with that, she grabbed the rope and went out the window.

Harry wasn't sure if she actually had jumped, but he now saw that she was using the rope to help get down, a lot like the mountain climbing shows Uncle Vernon used to watch on the television.

She was on the ground and motioning to him to come. Wondering what he had just gotten himself into, Harry grabbed the rope and his Invisibility Cloak and mimicked her. Harry thought he was doing very well on climbing down the house when he lost his grip about four feet off the ground and fell to the earth with a muffled 'thud.'

"Come on you pansy, get up!" Mandy said, walking toward the place where Ron and Hermione were hidden. Harry brushed himself off and walked behind her, only slightly offended. Sizing her up, he realized that Mandy was much shorter than he was. She didn't even reach his chin, but he had a feeling that she could be half a meter tall and still tower over him.

Hermione and Ron had come out of the trees to greet Harry, but were stunned when Mandy came in front. "Um, Harry?" Ron said. "Who is she?"

"Um...Ron, Hermione, this is, um...Mandy Smith," said Harry, his voice trailing off.

A long silence greeted these words. "Harry, you must be mistaken, because her last name can't possibly be Smith," Hermione said with a nervous laugh.

Mandy spoke. "Why is it so hard to believe? There must be millions of people in the world named Smith. You may not be informed of this, but it is quite a common name," she said smirking.

"That's impossible," said Hermione automatically. "Only Zacharias and Gregory Smith live there. Gregory Smith and Melissa Anderson had only one child, and we know Zacharias."

Mandy walked up to Hermione until their noses were almost touching and said, "You say it's impossible that I'm related to them? Newsflash: impossible isn't a fact. It's an opinion."

She walked over to where Hermione and Ron had started a small fire, unrolled her sleeping bag, crawled in, and pretended to be asleep. Hermione opened her mouth to argue, but Ron grabbed her arm and said, "We're tired. It can wait."

After they had all climbed into their sleeping bags and the cinders of the fire withered in the sunlight, Harry was still unsure whether he had made the right decision.

* * *

A/N: Sorry about the Addidas reference, but Mandy just seemed like that kind of person. Also sorry for the long update time. The next chapter may also be a while. Cookies for all reviewers. 


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